Ty Lawson scored a playoff career-high 27 points as the Denver Nuggets stayed alive in their Western Conference first-round series with a 104-101 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

Lawson connected on 8 of 16 field goals while making all nine of his free throws as the Nuggets beat the Thunder for the first time in six tries dating back to the regular season. Danilo Gallinari added 18 points and J.R. Smith had 15 in a reserve role.

Kevin Durant had a game-high 31 points while Russell Westbrook added 30 points for the Thunder, who still lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can wrap it up with a win Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Following a rough first half that saw them shoot a combined 5 of 20, Westbrook and Durant scored the Thunder's first eight points of the third as Oklahoma City nursed a three-point lead midway through the quarter. Back-to-back 3s from Smith and Gallinari put the Nuggets up by one, and Smith buried another shot from long range with 30 seconds remaining as Denver led 71-69 after three.

Denver extended the advantage to nine points early in the fourth with Durant and Westbrook on the bench. The duo promptly checked back in and the Thunder chipped away, closing to within two points on a pair of Durant free throws with five minutes remaining.

The Nuggets retaliated in short order, putting together a 9-0 run highlighted by a wide-open Gallinari 3-pointer that brought the Pepsi Center crowd to its feet. It didn't last long, as a Durant 3-pointer capped an 8-0 counterattack that drew Oklahoma City back to within two.

The Nuggets then used free throws to hold off the Thunder, who had several chances to tie but ultimately fell short after Westbrook missed three 3-point attempts in the final 30 seconds.